Afraid to Fly News and Events

Here’s how one person got over her fear of flying

Betty’s Story

People who take our Non Flyer group usually think they’re The Most: The Most scared, The Most weird, The Most likely to panic, and The Most certain to end up never getting over their fear of flying! But our groups help them learn they’re not alone and that they’re more capable than they thought possible.

This is the story of someone who discovered her bravery.

Betty thought she was out of control.

Betty (not her real name) came to our group feeling afraid and emotional. She was quickly in tears, certain there must be something wrong with her because she couldn’t stop feeling like she was out of control even though she knew flying was safe and that her fears weren’t justified. She couldn’t understand why she felt short of breath every time she thought about traveling, so she avoided whenever her family talked about vacations. Avoiding just seemed safer, but it left her feeling frustrated and weak.

She Took Our Non Flyer Group,

Betty spent two days with Dr. Ian Shulman and with other people just like her, learning that what she was going through was normal, especially when she was afraid. She practiced coping tools that reduced her fear and began the process of rewiring her body’s automatic reactions.

She Challenged Herself,

Betty still felt afraid when she boarded the plane and spent several minutes deciding whether she would stay or get off. With Dr. Ian’s help and the support of the group, she stayed and trusted that she could cope better than she had in the past.

And Flew When She Felt Ready.

Betty kept practicing the skills she learned after the group was over. Avoiding still felt safer, but came at the cost of living a life that felt ‘too small’. A few months later, she was ready to take

the leap. She knew she still felt afraid — that made sense after so many years of not flying — but she didn’t let that stop her, and made the decision to take her “Dream Vacation” to Italy.

Betty still felt afraid when she boarded the plane, and spent several minutes deciding whether she would stay or get off. With Dr. Ian’s help and the support of the group, she stayed and trusted that she could cope better than she had in the past.

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AFRAID TO FLY

Get help with anxiety, stress and depression at Shift Cognitive Therapy + Assessment Oakville.

Dr. Ian Shulman

Dr. Ian Shulman is a clinical psychologist who has been working in the field of anxiety and phobias for more than 20 years and with people who are afraid to fly since 2008. Anxiety and phobias are Ian’s favourite clinical issues to work with and he has spent many years building a program that he believes will help almost anyone fly without fear when they are ready to take that step.